Accused murderer a no-show in court for third time

By Gregg K. Kakesako

POSTED: 10:44 a.m. HST, Mar 18, 2013

Accused murderer Teddy Munet missed a scheduled Circuit Court appearance this morning, the third time he has not shown up in court.

On Feb. 20, Munet escaped from the custody of Oahu Community Corrections Center guards just before a morning Circuit Court hearing involving the 2012 murder of William Fallau. Police captured Munet nearly 12 hours later, several blocks away on Waimanu street in Kakaako.

On Thursday, Munet missed his Circuit Court arraignment on second-degree escape and second-degree robbery charges. His bail for that charge is $250,000.

Toni Schwartz, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman, said Munet was in the facility’s law library on Thursday and refused to appear for his arraignment, which was supposed to have been held via closed circuit video link.

Schwartz said the department can’t force Munet to show up for his arraignment.

She said it would be up to the judge to determine if he was in contempt of a court order.

Munet’s arraignment was rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. today.

Again, he was a no-show.

A deputy public defender at OCCC told Circuit Judge Richard Perkins via a closed circuit video link that he didn’t know if Munet was at the Kalihi facility or being transported to the court house. Munet had been given the choice to enter a plea in person at the Circuit Court room in town or via the video link.

But Schwartz maintained that her department wasn’t informed that Munet’s arraignment would be held this morning despite the fact that it was posted on the Circuit Court’s bulletin board and in front of Perkins’ chambers.

Perkins rescheduled Munet’s hearing for Thursday morning.

Munet’s murder trial is scheduled for the week of Oct. 7.

Munet was being held at the Kalihi facility before his February escape on $ 1 million bail. He is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree promotion of dangerous drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and three firearms counts.